End artery

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Synonyms
Pronunciation
Carnegie stage
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Precursor
Gives rise to
Part of

An end artery (or terminal artery) is an artery that is the sole supply of oxygenated blood to a portion of tissue. End arteries do not have significant anastomoses with other arteries. This means that if an end artery is occluded, the tissue it supplies will suffer from ischemia and may undergo necrosis.

Examples

Examples of end arteries include:

• The central artery of the retina, which supplies the retina of the eye.
• The splenic artery, which supplies the spleen.
• The renal artery, which supplies the kidney.

Clinical significance

End arteries are clinically significant because their occlusion can lead to serious consequences. For instance, occlusion of the central artery of the retina can lead to sudden blindness. Similarly, occlusion of the renal artery can result in renal infarction and loss of kidney function.

See also

• Artery
• Anastomosis
• Ischemia
• Necrosis